**Update to my original review (was 5 stars, now changing to 2 stars).
These guys work off commission and will continue to upcharge or press for more jobs or more expensive jobs to increase their commission - not necessarily push for what's best for you or your situation. What was anticipated to cost us $160 (snaking pipe), went to $3,600, and following a mistake during the job, we're looking at over $10,000+ to correct issues that have occurred since working with them.
Monkey Wrench did an initial job for us 8 weeks ago, during which, they made a pretty bad mistake (they admitted it was bad to me, in person, when it happened). Beginning the day after they left, every 2-3 days, flushing the toilet will cause flooding from the bottom of the toilet or flooding to back up into the shower. Additionally, something else we have never had trouble with before but started after they left, are drain flies. These essentially look like fruit flies that have begun appearing all over the house, living in and exiting from drains. They feed off an organic matter in the pipes and continue coming - we can't get rid of them!
The mistake:
During the first job, they were attempting to clear out a clog in a guest house plumbing line, separate from where the current issue exists (main house plumbing line), using a hydrojetter (basically a drain snake + pressure washer, blasting water in both directions, at 3,500 lbs of pressure (PSI)). They accidentally sent the jetter up the wrong plumbing line, and towards the inside of the house (where the issue exists now). When they turned it on, it caused essentially a volcanic explosion from our toilet and sprayed sewer water all over the walls and ceiling (like something out of a movie). They admitted on-site at the time it happened, that this shouldn't have happened and was not good (as it forces unwanted materials up inside the house). Following an inspection from a separate plumbing company, we have a lot of water in the crawlspace under the house and from a rupture in the mainline under the house. We had pest control install rat traps in the crawl space the week before they visited and they didn't note any water under the house. So this water is new, following Monkey Wrench's visit, and as a result, appears we will need to replace the entire line ($10,000 to correct their mistake).
Their explanation:
1) I chose the wrong solution initially: They said that we have an old house and should have expected future issues given all we did was a band-aid solution. For clarity, it was a $3,600 job to install a new cleanout port and then hydrojet the line. The right option, per their customer service group, was a $10,000+ overhaul to replace all the plumbing lines. So really it's on me (a non-plumber) for choosing incorrectly.
2) Coincidental timing: We have an old house, with old pipes, and this would have happened sooner or later - it's all coincidence that it happened after they left (even though their most senior technician agreed during his recent follow-up visit, it's possible/probable it's related to the hydrojet).
3) Pre-existing Issues: We have existing issues, such as a misalignment at the point where the main house connects to the street. This poses risks for issues and blockages. That's a fair point, but this isn't where the issue or what's causing the problem, so that's unrelated.
My assessment:
1) Poor Assessments of Potential Issues: Some technicians only used the camera on 1 of 2 lines, others did both. None went under the house (like this secondary group we brought in for a second opinion did) and missed several issues that have led to where we are.
2) Low Accountability: Accidents happen, but when they do, you have to be accountable and own up to it. They continue to claim the house is old and that's ultimately the reason for our problem. We have had 3 follow-up visits in 8 weeks from Monkey Wrench to assess the situation, and all of them have passed blame off to each other - that's not how I would have done it or if I was here, I would have done things differently and apologized for the experience we have had. Well if that's the case, doesn't that mean it's your responsibility? According to them, it means no - since (see note 1) they didn't inspect properly from the beginning, they don't know if it's their fault and since they don't know, they will only off 10% off on a new job to correct the issue.
It's been a very disappointing experience in the end, which has just gotten more and more stressful over the last 8 weeks. Currently, they're stating how bad our plumbing is, but their solution is to do another band-aid exercise. This proves that the ultimate goal isn't to look out for us but just to add jobs and make money. They told me when I asked for help, that they don't work for free. These guys might be nice for simple jobs, but definitely shop around before committing to them for bigger services.